Caster Semenya's Nike Campaign is More than a Campaign

On Saturday, Nike released their latest campaign in support of two time-Olympic champion, Caster Semenya. Earlier this week, the Court Arbitration for Sport ruled that Semenya will be forbidden from competing in races unless she takes suppressants that will reduce her natural testosterone levels— in order to “ensure fair competition in women’s sports” reports The Cut.

Before you think this ruling was done in favor of the greater good, the Court reported that this was in fact discriminatory against Semenya specifically. Stating: “discrimination is necessary, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving the IAAF requirement to preserve the integrity of female athletics.” But if the IAAF was truly focused on preserving the integrity of female athletics, it would do so in support of Semenya’s athleticism, not in spite of it.

This comes after years of ‘gendered testing’ against Semenya in an effort to decipher if she is a ‘true female’ athlete. The IAAF requires that in order for female athletes to be participants, their testosterone levels must be below 5 nmol/L. For Semeneya who has a health condition called hyperandrogenism (which causes her to produce more testosterone than average cisgender woman), her levels are above the IAAF requirement, however still well below the requirement for the male athletic level.

The Court’s rulings are against Semenya’s natural biological advantages, which is what makes her an athlete in the first place. Biological advantages are what create Olympic-level athletes, just look at Michael Phelps. An article from The Telegraph years ago broke down how his biological differences are exactly what made him one of the greatest athletes of all time. Rather than celebrate the astounding athleticism as we did Phelps, Semenya’s story reveals the layers of complex discrimination that females, people of color and gay athletes face in the sporting world. All simply because she is winning. Just because Semenya has higher testosterone levels than some of her female competitors, does not automatically make her the best athlete. Especially since there is “no conclusive evidence exists to suggest that testosterone correlates to enhanced performance”. Phelps on the other hand, produces half the lactic acid of his competitors (which causes fatigue), thus giving him an actual biological advantage. However this did not violate the integrity of male athletics, now did it? After all, Michael Phelps is simply a man who was 'built for swimming.'

Semenya’s composure during this entire investigation shows not only a level of sportsmanship some men do not even have (*ahem* Ryan Lochte faking a robbery in Brazil *ahem*), but also showcases the ridicule women, especifically gay and women of color face on a level deeper. “I know that the I.A.A.F.’s regulations have always targeted me specifically. For a decade the I.A.A.F. has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made me stronger. The decision of the C.A.S. will not hold me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world” said Semenya.

This brings us back to Nike’s campaign. This is the third time Nike has taken advantage of the platform and exposure their successful brand has. Rather than ignoring the racial, homophobic, gendered climate of the sportsworld, Nike chose to take action for something that affects not only their spokespeople, but their buyers as well. Politics and culture have always blended together. Whether as a reaction to political injustice or a response to political inaction. (And yes, that includes how the nomination and eventual election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States came to be. More on that later)

Before you think this is just a marketing ploy for the shoe brand, consider this advertisement the company did last year before this final ruling.